Amie e



(No Model.)

A. E. STOUT. BUGGY TOP ATTACHMENT.

1%. 566,351. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

m: 08m: vans co, Pumaumo WASHXNGTON. n. c.

NITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

AMIE E. STOUT, OF AARON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK W.KAMMANN, OF SAME PLACE.

BUGGY-TOP ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,351, dated August25, 1896.

Application filed June 16, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMIE E. STOUT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aaron, in the county of Switzerland and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Buggy-Top Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to buggy-tops, and particularly to an attachmenttherefor, whereby the operations of raising and lowering arefacilitated, to enable the driver to adjust the same quickly and withoutreaching around the side curtains to break the main brace.

The objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a buggy-top provided with anoperating device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isa detail perspective view of the operating device detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures of the drawin gs.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings the buggy-top isprovided with the usual main, front, and rear ribs 1, 2, and 3, saidfront and rear ribs being attached to the main rib, which is pivoted tothe body of the vehicle, and the front rib being pivotally mounted andbeing held at the desired extension by a jointed front brace 4. The topis held in an upright position by means of the main jointed brace 5,having the main or lower section 5 and the short or upper section 5 Theoperating device embodying my invention consists of a rock-shaft 6,mounted in bearing-eyes '7, attached to the main buggytop rib near itsupper end, said shaft being extended outwardly through the side curtainand carrying a crank-arm 8, which is loosely connected, by means of alink 9, with the short upper section 5 of the main brace. Saidrock-shaft is provided between its bearing-points with a curvedoperating-lever 10, terminating in a handle 11. Said lever is thusarranged inside of the buggy-top, and

Serial No. 595,779. (No model.)

it is slightly defiectedto allow its free end to pass inside of the mainrib, as shown in Fig. 2, excessive deflection thereof being prevented bya brace 12, connecting the front and rear ribs of the top.

From the above description it will be seen that the main brace maybeeither broken or set by the manipulation of the lever, which is withineasy reach of the driver oocupying the seatof the vehicle, and hence thetop may be adjusted without losing control of the horse, and in case ofa runaway, when it is necessary to lower the top quickle in order togive the occupants of the vehicle an opportunity to escape, the same mayby readily accomplished.

It will be understood that the mechanism above described is duplicatedupon the opposite side of the vehicle.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is The combination with abuggy-top having a main brace comprising upper and lower jointedsections, of a rock-shaft mounted in bearing-eyes on the main rib of thebuggy top, said rock-shaft being extended outwardly through the sidecurtains, a crank-arm carried by the exposed end of the rock-shaft, apitman connecting the extremity of said crank-arm with the upper sectionof said main brace contiguous to its joint, and a curved operating-leverattached to the rock-shaft in the plane of the ribs of the buggy-top andhaving its free end deflected inwardly to swing clear of the inner sideof the main rib, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AMIE E. STOUT.

Witnesses:

BRANDON MARSHALL, H. J. COLE.

